https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/how-soci ... ion-74780/

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/how-soci ... ion-74780/

It's not like French governments to put blocks in the road for RL though is it? Union is all powerful and lobbies media and state to keep it that way.
Mike Rylance's book 'The Forbidden Game' is an eye opener.

French rugby union are a disgrace, it’s not like it’s a massive threat.

The mutual distrust goes back to WW2 when RL was banned and accused of Nazi appeasement as the game was played in the area of France which was controlled by the Vichy government which obeyed German occupancy. Resentment lives long across the channel but I didn't realise how much until I read Mike Rylance's book.
Maybe the cancellation of RLWC 2025 in France is nothing to do with RU but when a change of the governments Sports Minister immediately leads to the cancellation of the competition, it certainly smells to high heaven. Oh and this year's RUWC carries on unaffected.

And now Qatar are interested.

I seriously hope we don't go there.
'Greenwashing at it's finest'.
I'd rather have no tournament that go there and make ourselves look a laughing stock promting an obscene regime.

Too many sports are selling themselves out to middle eastern countries in an attempt to show the country in a good light - motor racing, golf, boxing, football - all because of money. In the latter sports case allegedly there was a large demand for brown paper bags before the FIFA vote - whether that was to stuff certain types of paper products into them beforehand, or for them to be used as sick bags when the vote was announced afterwards I wouldn't like to say......

fez1 wrote:I seriously hope we don't go there. 'Greenwashing at it's finest'. I'd rather have no tournament that go there and make ourselves look a laughing stock promting an obscene regime. Too many sports are selling themselves out to middle eastern countries in an attempt to show the country in a good light - motor racing, golf, boxing, football - all because of money. In the latter sports case allegedly there was a large demand for brown paper bags before the FIFA vote - whether that was to stuff certain types of paper products into them beforehand, or for them to be used as sick bags when the vote was announced afterwards I wouldn't like to say...... The UK Government has approved £3Bn of arms exports to Qatar since 2020. https://caat.org.uk/data/exports-uk/ove ... te_from=-3

fez1 wrote:I seriously hope we don't go there. 'Greenwashing at it's finest'. I'd rather have no tournament that go there and make ourselves look a laughing stock promting an obscene regime. Too many sports are selling themselves out to middle eastern countries in an attempt to show the country in a good light - motor racing, golf, boxing, football - all because of money. In the latter sports case allegedly there was a large demand for brown paper bags before the FIFA vote - whether that was to stuff certain types of paper products into them beforehand, or for them to be used as sick bags when the vote was announced afterwards I wouldn't like to say...... The UK Government has approved £3Bn of arms exports to Qatar since 2020. https://caat.org.uk/data/exports-uk/ove ... te_from=-3

Wires71 wrote:The UK Government has approved £3Bn of arms exports to Qatar since 2020. https://caat.org.uk/data/exports-uk/ove ... te_from=-3 Money always wins.

Wires71 wrote:The UK Government has approved £3Bn of arms exports to Qatar since 2020. https://caat.org.uk/data/exports-uk/ove ... te_from=-3 Money always wins.

Britains historic role of selling arms to many 'less than desirable' regimes is a national disgrace. Profit and jobs dictate this will continue.

The game is on it's booty isn't it